


5 times the sides helped Deceit handle the hate and one time he returned the favour

by Callie_Girl



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-07-23 07:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20004598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callie_Girl/pseuds/Callie_Girl
Summary: Sometimes Deceit just can't handle the hate. And whenever that happens, one of the others is always around to help lift him back up.And soon, he gets to do the same for them.





	1. Roman

"Somebody has been scrolling through Tumblr again, hasn't he?" Roman smiled gently, plucking the phone from Dee's trembling hands. Deceit nodded, lip quivering as he looked up to the fanciful side.

Roman clicked his tongue, sitting across from the smaller side and grabbing his hands. "They'll understand you some day."

Deceit shot to his feet, tears flowing freely down his face. "Why did I even try?! If all they see is a villain, why did I try to be better?!"

Roman rose, moving close. "They just need to get past who you used to be, my love. These things take time-"

"How MUCH time?!" Deceit shrieked. "Can't they see how hard I'm trying?!"

Roman opened his mouth to speak, but Deceit plowed on, "why do I even bother trying to change if all they'll do is ignore it?"

Roman shook his head. "Don't think like that. They might not see the progress you've made, but we do. Come here." He pulled Deceit into a hug. "They'll see it eventually. And until then, you have us."

He kissed the top of Deceit s head.

"You have us."


	2. Virgil

Deceit screamed in dismay, throw2ing his laptop across the room, then slamming himself into his bed, screaming into t2he pillow.

Why why why why why why why-

"Dee?" The door creaked open as Virgil poked his head in. The anxious side glanced at the broken computer, then at his old friend. Comprehension dawned on his pale face, and he sat on the bed, rubbing Dee's spine. "It's okay, Dee. It's okay. I love you. It's okay."

"No, it's not!" Dee screamed, pounding his fists on his bed like a toddler. "It's not okay!"

Virgil sighed, laying down and pulling Deceit close. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Deceit shook his head, sobbing again. He'd wrapped his arms around Virgil, holding the anxious side in a bone-crushing hug. Virgil made a mental note to have Logan search Deceit's browser history, just to figure it out, bt whispered, "Okay. That's perfectly fine, noodle. But I'm guessing you've been reading some shit on Thomas' fandom, right? When Dee nodded, he continued, "Can I show you something, then?"

Eventually, Dee nodded, and Virgil grabbed his phone, typing something into his Tumblr. "See, look at this, noodle. These people like you."

Deceit sniffled, nervously grabbing the phone from Virgil and looking at what he'd found.

"It's called sympathetic Deceit," Virgil whispered. "They see who you are. They love you. Just like me and the others do."

Dee grinned, and Virgil pulled him closer.

"Thank you," Dee whispered.

"No problem."


	3. Patton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay this kind of attacks one of my pet peeves, which is tagging a fic as sympathetic Deceit when Deceit in the fic is an abusive/manipulative nasty bastard man.

Deceit opened his hand, letting his new, unbroken phone fall to the sofa, then pulling his knees up to his chest and starting to tremble. He... he'd thought that one was safe... it had been tagged as sympathetic Deceit... 

He would never hurt Patton in the way he had in that fic...

As if thinking his name summoned him, which it probably had, Patton poked his head in. "Hey there, kiddo. I'm baking cookies, you wanna help?"

Deceit nodded, drifting after the fatherly side. He was barely listening as Patton chattered on and on, only needed a few noncommital sounds to keep going. He grabbed the jar of chocolate chips from the cupboard-

///Deceit grabbed a cup from the counter and threw it at Patton's head, ignoring the slew of apologies and pleas from the moral side as he picked up a plate///

The jar slipped from Deceits numb fingers and shattered on the floor. Patton was by his side in an instant. "Dee? What's wrong? What happened?"

Deceit looked up at the moral side with tears in his heterochromatic eyes, and he buried his scaled face in Patton's shirt, breathing in the scent of Patton's shirt. Patton hugged him gently. "It's okay kiddo. It's okay."

That was what Deceit liked about Patton. He never asked what was going on, he just comforted you. If you wanted to tell him, you could, but if you didn't that was fine as well. Patton picked Deceit up, carrying him up to his room and sitting on the bed, rocking the snake side back and forth. "It's okay. I've got you. It's okay."

"What about the cookies?" Dee asked.

Patton kissed Dee's forehead. "The cookies can wait."


	4. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logans methods differ from those the others use.

Logan was no master of emotion. Yet even he could see the tension in Deceits shoulders. Heck, he would wager a blind man could do the same with little effort. 

"Deceit?" Logan sat next to the snake side. "Something Thomas said a while ago had me wondering, and I was hoping I could touch your scales?"

Deceit tilted his head. "What?"

"Your scales. I wish to touch them."

Deceit shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Go ahead."

"Thank you."

Logan gently ran his fingertips over the scales on Deceits face, smiling internally when he saw Deceit melt into the touch. He shifted so that he could get better access, stroking the scales much more boldly as Deceit closed his eyes.

"Mmm... what has you so invested in my scales?"

"They're interesting. Added that Thomas did, a while ago, call you a slimy boi. I was curious as to whether they were slimy, smooth, or perhaps even rough."

"You could've just asked." Deceit pointed out.

"I could have, yes, but I am a tactile learner. I learn best from touching and experimenting. Besides, although I trust you entirely, it is entirely possible that you could lie to me. No, this is the best way."

A small sound left Deceits mouth as Logan's hand moved down to the scales over the snake sides thin collarbone.

"Are you... purring?"

Deceit nodded.

"I was not aware that snakes could purr."

"They can't." Deceit contradicted. "But I enjoyed the idea, and made it so that I could purr."

"Fascinating." Logan breathed, cupping the left side of Deceits face in one strong hand. "You, my dear, are entirely and utterly fascinating. I do hope you know this."

Deceit didn't speak, just put the full weight of his head in to Logan's hand. Logan brushed his thumb over Deceits cheekbone, then kissed Deceits forehead.

"Fascinating."


	5. Remus

"Hey Dee, have you seen my- Oh!" Remus gasped, racing over to the snake side. Deceit had wrapped a bandage around his eyes, something he only did when he was really upset. "Oh, sweetie. Don't do this to yourself."

Deceit hunched over even more but stayed silent. "I'm going to walk over and sit next to you, on your left. I'm in the doorway now." He'd done this a few times before, and he'd seen how high Deceit could jump when you sat next to him without warning him. "Okay, I'm going to pull you onto my lap."

Deceit buried his face in Remus' neck, trembling ever so slightly. Not talking either, Remus saw. It was worse than he thought. "Did something happen? It's okay, you can tell me."

Deceit was quiet for a few more minutes, then he whispered, "It was an accident. But Virgil was so upset and he wouldn't listen to me. Next thing I know I'd hypnotised him and oh God-" Deceit made a despairing sound.

Ah.

"It's okay," Remus whispered, rubbing Deceits arm. "You know he doesn't mind if you do it to help him."

"I'm just how the Fanders see me." Deceit grumbled. "Manipulative."

"No!" Remus hugged Deceit tighter. "Dee, Virgil gave you consent to do that. Remember, you two even made a contract? You both signed it? It's framed? Patton even put it on the fireplace!"

Deceit just shook his head, and Remus figured he would need a change of tactics. He picked Deceit up a sank out, then reappearing in one of the many ballrooms in the mind space. Putting Deceit down, he asked, "May I have this dance?"

Deceit nodded slowly, and grabbed his hand, his other arm looping to rest on the small of Deceits back. Music began to play. Remu started to fill Deceits silence with gentle banter, watching and waiting as the snake side relaxed...

His hand shot up and yanked the bandages over Deceits head, then discarding them on the floor. His other arm kept Deceit locked in place so that he couldn't go after them. Remus met Decets bright, heterochromatic eyes, and stayed like that. Deceit was still, too surprised to try and move his head away.

"See, you're not manipulative." Remus whispered. "Or else you woud've used your powers to make me let you go. Hell, you wouldn't have even put those wretched thngs on in the first place." he kissed Deceits forehead. "I trust you completely and without reservation, my dear."

Deceit took a deep breath, than nodded.

Remus held Deceit closer, "And I'm absolutely certain Virgil is the same way."


	6. 6

Deceit frowned, walking into the common are. "You guys do realize the kitchen is on fire, right? Helloooooo?" He gently kicked Logan, who was laying on the floor. He got no reaction.

"Guys? What's wrong? Is Thomas sick?" He knelt down, poking Roman. "Answer me or I'll bite you!"

The fact that neither Virgil or Roman said "Kinky" told him exactly how bad the situation was. He sighed, getting to his feet. "Okay then, don't tell me. How about I just... duck out?"

Boy did that get a reaction.

All five shot to their feet, clamouring to speak, but Deceit silenced them. "Now that I have your attention, care to explain what on Gods gay Earth is going on here?"

Patton was the first to speak "I'm... I'm not /really/ stupid and juvenile, right?"

"Am I truly heartless?"

"I am not daft and insecure!"

"Dee, am I really a paranoid crybaby?"

"I'm a valid side, right?"

Oh, God, it was worse than he thought.

Deceit gripped Patton's hands. "Patton, you are incredibly intelligent. Any time you are juvenile serves only to make those around you happy, and you have shown multiple times that you are extremely capable of being mature."

Then to Logan, "My dear, you have a heart the size of Jupiter, even if you have issues showing it sometimes. Some may see you as heartless because you sometimes try to portray yourself as such, but those close to you, those who matter, know that nothing could be further from the truth. You feel too much and try to act like you feel nothing. You are sensitive, such a beautiful thing to be.

"Roman, you are nowhere near daft. No one who could fit the title could fight off the monster of the imagination as often as you do and always come back in one piece. No, love, you are far from daft. You are a bit insecure, but we are working on that. Insecurity is not a flaw, it merely means you wish to be better. There are much worse things to be than insecure, and we are more than willing to help you with the things that make you hate yourself.

"Virgil, you are not a crybaby. Banish that thought from your mind this instant. As for paranoid... to some, you may appear so. But we know, THOMAS knows, that you only wish to keep him alive. You may be a bit over-protective at times, but you are working on it. And we love you for it.

"Now, Remus. You are completely and utterly valid. Those who seek to invalidate you only wish they could be as special as you are." He kissed Remus' forehead gently. "Don't listen to them.

"In fact, that goes for all of you. Don't listen to those who seek to belittle and invalidate. They just don't see who you truly are. They may have their own insecurities and strike out at others for reasons we don't know. Just learn to tune them out, my dears." He pulled all five of them into a hug. "It's what you've taught me to do, so now I'll teach you the same thing. Now, perhaps we should put out the fire in the kitchen?"


End file.
